The Honeymoon
by ScottIsGodd
Summary: Deryn and Alek intend to start their "Happily Ever After" together, but when the Clankers stir up trouble, they must alter their plans for...the President of the United States!
1. Chapter 1: An airship bound for America

The Honeymoon

The two newlyweds were in a horse drawn carriage with the words 'Just Married' in big, white letters on a banner, fluttering in the wake of the carriage. Both were smiling broadly and holding hands, as they travelled through the busy streets of London towards an airship bound for America. Deryn, who for once had allowed herself to be 'stuffed into dresses' as she put it, looked quite pretty. Gone was her usual look, trousers and all, replaced by a lovely white dress. Deryn had also grown her hair longer, it now reached almost to her shoulders, in the three month period before now. All this combined with the smile she gave him, made her look like a proper lass, Alek thought. He said, with a cheeky grin "Deryn, you look like one of those village lassies you're always talking about not being like."

In reply, he received a light punch on the shoulder. "Daft I am, Daft. Why I stuffed myself into skirts for you is beyond me."

Bovril, chose this moment to input "Funny, you in a dress" it said and began to chuckle to itself.

"Because...you love me, and want to see me happy?" Alek suggested coyly. "Aye" said Deryn, not bothering to argue.

They continued along in this fashion until they came to the airport. The airport was a tall, thin tower that branched out in all directions at its top, like the spokes of a bicycle. Alek disembarked from the carriage first, and offered his hand to his wife, knowing full well that she probably wouldn't accept his help. She was Deryn after all.

Much to his delight, she did accept and placed her hand in his. Alek held her hand for a moment. He was still unused to seeing the ring on her finger. It was one of the few pieces of jewellery she wore. Alek snapped out of his daze and helped her down. He grabbed their luggage off the back of the carriage, of which there was not much to speak of: two suitcases – one for each of them.

"Like a miniature Leviathan" breathed Alek, who was awed by the sight.

"But less eye caching" said Deryn, not fazed at all.

The airship loomed high above them; a shorter, squatter version of the Leviathan, though not in every detail, because it was a civilian airship. Alek placed the luggage in the elevator, while Deryn pushed one of the two buttons. It barely registered with him to grab on to something, before the car rocketed upwards. When they reached the top, Deryn produced the boarding passes, that the London Zoological Society – courtesy of Dr. Barlow – had graciously paid for. She presented the passes as they boarded. They had no trouble finding their cabin, with the instructions provided by the crew.

Well, to call it a cabin would be an understatement, thought Alek. It was a honeymoon suite, with a large queen size bed, that was easily big enough for the two of them, in the centre of one wall. A wardrobe was opposite the bed. In one corner next to the window, there was a kitchenette. Finally, there was a small toilet adjoining the main room.

The loudspeaker near the door crackled into life "All passengers, please stow your luggage and prepare for departure."


	2. Chapter 2: Dinner

Chapter 2

A/N: I was listening to "Don't treat me bad" by Firehouse while composing this chapter. Originally, this chapter was planned to have a slight fluff between Alek and Deryn. But it doesn't, I changed my mind and wrote a dinner scene.

Thanks to sunniebelle for reviewing both "The Proposal" and "The Honeymoon". Your kind words made my day ;)

I am blown away that you (the reader) actually like what I write. So I thank you for reading.

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

* * *

Deryn and Alek unpacked their luggage in to the wardrobes. Deryn was jumping up and down on the bed, "Testing the springs" she called it. With the springs having been well and truly tested, she now lay next to Alek, sprawled on the bed, both still in their formal wear. Deryn, chest rising and falling from jumping, got up off the bed, and walked towards the bathroom. "We should get ready, dinner is only an hour away" she said. A while later, they were both ready for dinner, sitting and looking out the window at the night, while they waited. Alek was looking flashing in a suit and she was looking every part his wife, in a blue dress. Even Bovril was dressed up for the occasion, looking adorable in a miniature vest.

"All passengers, please report to the dining hall for dinner" sounded the loud speaker. They both jumped at the sudden noise, since they had been sitting in silence, looking out at the breathtaking view of the night sky that the window gave them. Moonlight shone down in slanting beams through the glass, coming to rest upon their entwined fingers. Deryn snapped out of her revelry, looked her lover straight in the eyes and said "Alek Sharp, would you please take me to dinner?"

"Of course, leibe" he replied, with a grin, kissing her on the check. Deryn picked up Bovril from where it was and placed it on her shoulder. Alek, always the gentleman, held the door for her.

As they made their way towards what Alek thought was the general direction of the dining hall, they passed some other passengers heading back the way they had come. "I think that we are going the wrong way" whispered Deryn. Alek, unwilling to admit defeat, soldiered on. Eventually they encountered a sign that said Dining Hall. They were just in time for the start of dinner.

The dining hall was a long, brightly lit room, with a table piled high with the first course of food, which was bread rolls and pumpkin soup. Alek and Deryn sat down, and began loading food into their bowls. Bovril, who had smelled something that it liked, scampered down Deryn's arm and began nibbling on an unlucky plate of prawns. At once Deryn's appetite for food took over and she began tucking in with gusto. Alek, was more reserved, taking his time and enjoying it. Deryn said to him, between mouthfuls of pumpkin soup and bread "Mmmm...This is much better than the food on the Leviathan."

"That, I can whole heartedly agree with!" said Alek, having tasted the 'food' on the Leviathan first hand.

After dinner, Deryn said they should explore the ship. The two found their way to the outside deck, which was bitingly cold but had a brilliant view of the stars. There was a bright flash, and what looked like a comet flew across the starry night sky. "Make a wish" whispered Alek, who was standing on his toes. "I already have what I want" said Deryn, her breath coming in small steam clouds.

"And what's that?" asked Aek

"You" she said, bending down to lay a kiss on his lips.

Alek, Deryn and Bovril made their way off the deck and back to their cabin. When they got there, Deryn noticed that the door was slightly ajar. She pointed, Alek followed her finger with his eyes. He took up a position on one side of the door and motioned for her to do the same on the other side. Alek quickly pushed open the door and ran inside. Deryn quickly entered a moment after her husband, to find that not a single thing had been touched. But there was a something lying on the window seat. They would investigate more tomorrow, Deryn decided, as she changed in to a nighty. For now, she snuggled up to Alek's warmth and drifted off to sleep, her dreams filled with uncertainty about what was to come.


	3. Chapter 3: The kill shot

Chapter 3: The Note

A/N: Sorry about the last chapter, I think I am worse writing Deryn, than I am writing Alek. Lol. Am I right? To make up for it, I present my longest chapter yet. For the German, I used Google translate.

Alek woke up the next morning and yawned. He found his beautiful wife Deryn, curled up next to him, a look of sleepy innocence on her face. Sunlight streamed in from the window, touching on her sandy hair. Alek planted a light kiss on her cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as he did and got out of bed. He walked over to the window to close the blinds and go back to bed, since the clock said it was only seven. Then, spying the note, for that is what it was, the events of last night came flooding back, like a dam releasing its gates. The door, the strangeness that nothing had been taken, the note, it all came back to him.

He shut the blind, picked up the note, turned and saw Deryn was beginning to stir. She mumbled, eyes still closed "Come back to bed." He came back, deposited the note on the bedside table and climbed back into bed. Once he was safely in the warmth of the bed, he began reading the note in his head.

 _Dear Deryn Sharp,_

 _I am writing to you from Australia. I, Volger and Tazza are having a wonderful holiday here. I had forgotten how amazing the local wildlife, kangaroos are, with all that hopping about. I have heard rumours that there is to be an assassination attempt on your lives. So, keep one eye open and stay alert. Sorry about the delivery method. One of my agents, Martin dropped it in._

 _Your friend,_

 _Nora Barlow_

He gently nudged Deryn awake. In answer he received cries of protest "Just let me sleep."

"Sorry, _leibe_ but you have to see this." He said, a little more forcefully than he meant. His wife begrudgingly sat up, opened her eyes and began reading.

"Barking spiders!" she exclaimed, fully awake now. "Assassination attempts upon us."

Alek briefly wondered what Count Volger and Dr Barlow where doing in Australia. The same as he and Deryn? There had been no announcement, nor a wedding. Probably research, he surmised. But considering that the Count didn't care for Darwinest fabrications... What could possibly be the reason? He quickly dismissed it from his mind, there was more input things to deal with at the moment. Things like the possibility of an assassination attempt.

He and Deryn got dressed, making sure that they had the necessary equipment, in case they where attacked. They meandered across to the dining hall for breakfast, which was bacon and eggs. Then, having finished breakfast, the two lovers retreated to the safety of the cabin. The room was in complete disarray, everything was turned upside down. There where piles of clothes everywhere, one of the wardrobes was lying on its side and various other paraphernalia was littered around the room. And in the middle of it all, there was one man, holding a pistol!

The man fired at them, bullets grazing the door frame, as they ran out of the room. A near by crewman ran past them, probably going to alert the bridge that shots had been fired. People from nearby cabins ran past them in all directions, getting as far away as possible from the gunfire. Alek drew his knife from its sheath, raised it and quickly looked around the corner. The gunman seeing this, fired at him and forced Alek to duck back, unharmed. At least he knew the location of the gunman. He got the knife ready, ducked out and threw the knife straight at the gunman. This left him exposed and vulnerable to being shot!

Luckily for him, he was not shot but the knife completely missed its target, sailing harmlessly into the wall. It remained there, stuck. While Alek was trying to defend himself, Deryn slipped her own knife out of its sheath and threw it at the man in the room. Fortunately, this time, it did not miss, thanks to Deryn's years aboard the Leviathan. It struck him square in the chest, causing him to emit a load cry of pain and keel over in agony. Alek chose this moment to rush in and tackle the fallen man, pinning his hands behind his back.

"WHO SENT YOU?" bellowed Alek, trying to be intimidating. It clearly wasn't working, evidenced by the look on the assassin's face.

All this commotion had caused quite a stir and a ships Officer had come on the scene. "What is all this about?" he asked.

Deryn answered him "That man broke into our apartment and tried to kill us."

"Have you any evidence of this, Miss?" the Officer annoyingly asked.

Evidence, EVIDENCE!" Deryn exploded. "WHO NEEDS BLISTERING EVIDENCE? ARE YOU CRACKED IN THE ATIC? I'LL GIVE YOU SOME EVIDENCE!"

The Officer, obviously quite intimated by this seeming insane, scottish girl and her outburst, looked at Alek for guidance. Because, Alek was her husband. Alek shrugged, as if to say "Well, its not my problem."

Alek said to his enraged wife "Liebe, bitte beruhige dich. Zeig ihm dein Abzeichen." Which meant "Love, calm down please. Show him your badge."  
Deryn calmed down, to the obvious relief of the terrified Officer. She then showed the Officer her badge, which said that she was 'Agent Deryn Sharp of the Zoological Society.'  
The Officer took this as his cue to leave. "I'll send someone to help you cleanup the mess, Mr and Mrs Sharp."

"Thank you" Alek said, restraining Deryn from throttling the poor Officer. The Officer walked off to report to to captain. It was twilight now, past dinner time. The time had gone somewhere...


	4. Chapter 4: Alek!

A/N: I am so happy that you loved the twist sunniebelle. I have wanted to recreate that sense of fingernail-biting suspense that I experienced when reading Goliath, for a long time. Without further ado, here is the next chapter!

Borderline M rated stuff ahead.

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

The assassin groaned. Deryn led him over to the window, where she sat him down in a seat, while Alek made a dinner of baked beans in the kitchenette. When dinner was ready, they sat down opposite the man and began to question him. "Who sent you?" said Deryn, calmly. The assassin, remembering how this woman had spoken to the officer earlier, complied and shakily told them. "I-I don't know their name, but I can tell you that they were Austrian."

"What!" they both said, with equal amounts of shock on their faces.

"Grudge" said Bovril, seeing the situation for what it was.

Deryn knew that the emperor of Austria, Alek's great-uncle, had a grudge against him, due to his father's morganatic marriage. She wondered if their own marriage had amplified this grudge. Probably. But no matter, they would get through it. As long as they had each other. She finished with dinner and went to the door, were three Officers where stationed for security purposes and told them to take the assassin away. After the man had been taken away, she again went to the door and asked the remaining Officer to go away. She was met with a concerned "Miss, are you sure?"

"Yes. I feel quite safe here" she said, watching him walk away. It was only natural that they do this, since they were married now. It would be a new adventure for both her and Alek, she decided, as she donned her night dress and climbed into bed. She said to Alek "Well your princeliness, I thought that went rather well" sliding her long legs under the sheets. Alek replied, softly, as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead "I think so too."

As the last light faded from the room, Deryn closed her eyes and was lost in the warmth of Alek and the bliss that was his kisses. She slowly caressed his face, with her long and delicate but callused fingers. In reply, Alek gently moved his hands down her face, stopping at her neck, a concerned look on his face "Is this ok?"

"Yes. Can I ask you a question?" she said, a smile spreading across her lips at Alek's genteel nature. Alek nodded the affirmative. "How did you become so good at kissing?"

"Well, uh" smiled Alek sheepishly. "I have been reading a book about it. I can show you it."

"A book? But surely as a prince, you must have had some practice" Deryn said, incredulity etched upon her face and in her voice. She heard a giggle escape from her lips at the thought of her daft prince reading a book on kissing. "Alek, can I have another kiss, please?" He obliged, laying kisses on her neck and sending shivers down her spine. He made her feel like she was flying.

She ran her fingers down his body, which was lean and muscular, thanks to the hard work that the Zoological Society had provided. Alek, fumbled to remove his shirt, revealing his bare chest, which Deryn nuzzled against. She chose that moment to remove her own night-dress, causing Alek to literally freeze up. Worried that she had been too forward, Deryn quickly covered her self with the blanket. Alek visibly relaxed and said "Well, there's that." Deryn started to feel foolish, she knew this had been a bad idea! Then Alek said, stumbling over his words "Its not that I don't like them. I like them. It's just than I am not used to seeing...you know" "Diddies?" she suggested, laughing as she finishing his sentence for him. Deciding that they had enough adventure for one night, she lay down in Alek's arms and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: I have stolen the 'Alek reading a book about kissing' idea from (I actually don't remember the name of the FanFiction. But I will put it here when I find it) but I changed some of the details.


	5. Chapter 5: An unexpected detour

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that last chapter. In the coming weeks I will not be uploading as frequently, because school starts so… However, I can and will try to keep regularly updating.

sunniebelle: You are a continuous inspiration with your motivational comments and words of kindness!

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

Alek was pacing the darkened room, the floorboards creaking ever so slightly as he walked from one end to the other. He had too many questions on his mind, and was trying to clear his head but couldn't shake one question: Who was the Austrian that the assassin had mentioned? His great-uncle? He was looking forward to disembarking in New York today, after being stuck on an airship for nearly two days. Not that he didn't enjoy being stuck on an airship with the girl he loved, Alek just felt more in control when his feet where on solid ground.

Daylight was beginning to poke around at the edges of the blind, threating to invade the velvety darkness of the room. With one last creak of the floorboards, Alek finished pacing, sat down at the chair near the bed and looked over with a warm heart at _her_. He recollected the events that had lead him to this moment, first finding _her_ at the crashed Leviathan, then killing Tesla just so he could save _her_ and when the time was right, proposing to _her_. He was suddenly overcome with a sense of protectiveness for his friend, wife and lover. Alek whispered, with great conviction "I love you, Deryn."

This evidently was the wrong thing to do, because Deryn woke up. Not because of his whispered conviction but because of Bovril making a noise like a crowd of people talking. More specifically, a crowd of people with American accents. Alek hurried to quiet the beastie. Too late, he thought. Deryn yawned and said softly, her scottish lilt even sweeter than it had been last night "Is it that time already?"

"Well" said Alek, looking round to check the clock and seeing that it read eight. "Yes, actually."

She got up out of the warmth of the bed, pulled some clothes on and started helping Alek pack up the suitcases. They had the cases by the door, just in time for the loudspeaker to come to life "Will the residents of the honeymoon suite please disembark, as we are making a slight detour."

The two occupants of the honeymoon suite walked down the corridor connecting the airship to its docking port. Wind howled around them, it sounded to Alek like they were still very high up. When they reached the end of the corridor, they walked down a small series of steps and saw a important looking man dressed in a suit. The man addressed them "Mr and Mrs Sharp, please follow me." They did as requested and followed him through a maze of cream coloured corridors to a large room. This room had a lot of people, Alek noticed. The same man who had led them to the room motioned for them to come over to where he was standing with a serious looking man, who had sharp cheek bones and a bald patch. "Mr Alek Sharp, the President of the United States, Thomas Woodrow Wilson."

The President smiled warmly and shook Alek's hand warmly "It's a pleasure, Mr Sharp. I've heard all about you." Moving to Deryn, he also shook her hand "And you Mrs Sharp, I am told helped in taking down Nikola Tesla."

He addressed them both, indicating the man who had led them here "This is my Chief of Security, John Lark" John was just as nice as the president had been, if a little tense.

"Now you may be wondering why-o-why you are here" The President began. "The reason is simple: We want you to undergo a top secret mission. Details of this mission have been sent to your accommodation."

They were in shock. The President of the United States had just asked them to complete a mission. This was not what they had planned for when honeymooning.

A time later they arrived at their accommodations. They were greeted by an elderly woman, who gave them their room key. Just as they were unpacking their cases, a short, muffled scream erupted from the ally below them. Alek dropped his bags and pelted down the stairs, almost knocking over the old lady. When Alek got to the ally he saw a blur as someone bolted around the corner. What Alek saw made him sick to the stomach. A young lady was sprawled on the pavement with tears running down her face. "A man, I was walking home, he stole my handbag."

Alek said to Deryn, who came running up beside him "You stay here and call the cops"

"Not a chance!" she said, as she ran after him, as he pursued the thief. Alek's pursuit took him through winding alleyways and across main roads. Alek's blood was pumping in his ears as he ran, Deryn alongside him. Alek broke into a full sprint as he saw the thief. He tackled him and was about to beat him to a pulp, when he recognized the man. It was the assassin from the airship!

A/N: I've the busy and now have the story mapped out, as opposed to just going where Alek and Deryn take me. lol


	6. Chapter 6: A mission from the President

A/N: I'll redo this chapter, because it's bad compared to my last one.

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

The alley that they had cornered the man in had a shabby appearance that was made all the more uninviting, due to the fact that it was wet, gray and dark. It was nearing night in the streets of New York.

Deryn punched the assassin in the face, before he had time to recognise her, sending him staggering into a wall and rendering him unconscious. Alek stood guard, while she searched the unconscious assassin's pockets for any hint or clue as to why he was here and trying to assassinate them. While searching, she found a note in his breast pocket. A note that was in German:

 _Ihre Befehle sind, Alek und Deryn Sharp zu töten. Sie werden auf einem Luftschiff in Richtung Amerika sein. Melde mich, wenn du fertig bist. Enttäusch mich nicht._

 _Grüße,_

 _Wenzel_

"Well that explains who is after us" said Alek, handing it to Deryn and translating the words she didn't understand. "Wenzel. Obviously not your uncle, then" she said, memorizing and then replacing the note in the man's pocket. Together they walked through the maze of alleyways and back to the apartment building, arm in arm, as if taking down criminals was an ordinary behaviour. Deryn carried the distraught woman's bag back to her. "Will you be alright?" The woman nodded, thanked them for their help and continued along her way. When they reached their room, they finished unpacking into the chest of drawers and sat down on the room's biggest feature: a queen-sized bed. The room's one window affording them the exciting view of an alley wall. Deryn spied the letter the president spoke of, underneath a lamp with one edge poking out. She extracted the letter, read it with raised eyebrows and passed it to Alek. He read it with a growing feeling of trepidation.

 _Mr. Mrs. Sharp,_

 _Your mission is to infiltrate Adolf Hitler's political party and kill Hitler. Over the past few years, we have observed Hitler rising to power in Germany. We think he is close to starting a war. Your mission is to commence tomorrow. Members of the Secret Service will escort you to Germany. From there you will report monthly to my Chief of Security._

 _Good luck and may God speed,_

 _The President of The United States_

Alek barely had time to process the ramifications of this, before Deryn started jumping on the bed, again, sending Alek to the floor. "Deryn" he complained, "Do you have to do that every time we go somewhere with a bed?"

"Yes, Alek. I do" his wife said, smiling and laughing down at him, mirth in her blue eyes. He decided to join her, climbing up on the bed, just sitting there as she went up and down. Deryn fell on the bed next to him, giving him kisses on the cheek. He lay down, enjoying the feeling of being able to relax after a long day. Alek got up, to much protest from Deryn and closed the door, locking it, just in case. He was looking forward to another 'adventure' with Deryn.

He went towards the bathroom and changed into a pair of boxers. He emerged just in time to catch a glimpse of Deryn changing. Alek, despite being married now, promptly turned his back, face reddening. Deryn caught him "Alek, you daft prince, you can look now." Alek turned, seeing that it was safe, scurried over and hopped in beside her. He felt her warmth against him, a welcome contrast to the cold, uninviting world outside.

Deryn cuddled against him and stroked his chest, tracing his muscles with the tips of her fingers, making him feel as though he was being hit by Tesla's walking stick, though not quite as painful. Alek tentatively stroked her face with him thumb. She whispered softy "We should get some sleep, Alek. We've got a hard day tomorrow." He nodded, letting her lay her head on his chest.

The next morning Alek awoke to knocks at the door. Deryn was already awake and making breakfast. Alek quickly pulled some clothes on and opened the door, revealing two serious men dressed in black suits. He guessed that they were part of the mission, as they had pins with 'Secret Service' on their lapels. The men said "Mr and Mrs Sharp" Alek and Deryn both nodded. "Follow us. And please leave your bags here." They complied, taking their breakfast with them and followed the men down the stairs and out the door, depositing their room key on the way out. They reached a Ford motor car, climbed and found the driver to be none other than Klopp. "Hallo Alek, Deryn. This is no ordinary Ford, so please hold on."


	7. Chapter 7: A Clanker Machine

A/N: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. So I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have writing it.

ScottIsGodd

As soon as they were in, Klopp floored the accelerator, sending a cloud of dust behind them and making the rubber tires burn. Deryn had no time to brace herself against the seat, which sent her forward into the seat in front of her. Alek seeing this, shot out his arm, arresting her forward motion. "So, where are we going?" Deryn said to Klopp, moving Alek's hand away now that she was safe. "Germany" Klopp replied, quickly adding "Not in this, thankfully", seeing the look of horror on both their faces, as they imagined being cooped up in this car for days on end.

Now that she was able to look round, Deryn saw that the Ford was quite beautiful. The car was black and red, leather covering its seats and lots of buttons and switches adorned the dashboard, making it look almost like a Cykolp Stormwalker's cockpit, she thought. While she was admiring the car, they had reached a beach. This must be their destination. Alek, ever the gentleman, opened the car door, offering Deryn a hand out of the car. She batted it away, much to his disappointment and climbed out of the car. Klopp had got out too, she saw.

Just then, a dark shape became visible under the surface of the water, causing the water around it to swell. The shape broke the surface, revealing a giant metal leg, moving and thudding on to the beach. The leg pulled itself out of the water, revealing more of its attached body. There were now two legs out of the water, when Deryn realised what it was: A water-walker!

She grabbed Alek, who was just standing there and sprinted up the beach as fast as her legs could carry her, which was pretty fast. She looked back and saw that the walker was now fully out, water streaming down its sides in cascades and Klopp was just standing there in the open, exposed. It then hit her that the walker was not attacking, none of its cannons nor guns were firing. Deryn cautiously approached the Clanker machine, now lowering its cargo ramp, ready to either receive or disgorge something. Weather that something was good or bad, was anyone's guess.

When she reached the machine, the Ford was being towed in to the cargo hold and Klopp was in the driver's seat. She practically dragged Alek on board, in her haste to find out what was going on. She ran up the ramp, shoes slapping the metal flooring. When Deryn reached the top, she was frozen with awe, mouth hanging open. The inside of the cargo bay was massive, with enough space for five Fords side by side. There were two heavy looking doors either side of the hold, that granted access to the rest of the walker. It was one of these she and Alek entered, not really knowing where they were going.

They passed a crewmember chatting idly in English. Alek tapped the man on the shoulder, causing him to turn around. Deryn recognised him. It was Newkirk!

"What the clart are you doing here?" she exclaimed, a look of astonishment on her face.

"Helping with the mission and keeping an eye on you two" said Newkirk, smirking.

"Can you take us to the bridge?" Alek asked. In answer, Newkirk led them down one corridor, up a ladder, through the engine room, up another ladder, through a bunk room and up another ladder until they reached the bridge. The bridge overlooked the top of the walker. It was bigger than the Leviathan's bridge by far. There was three central chairs and sitting in the middle one was Klopp, giving orders.

"Klopp, why are you here?" Alek asked.

"Well, a long story, that" he said, in surprisingly fluent English. Deryn reasoned that he must have picked up the English from working at Ford. "After the incident with Tesla, myself, Hoffman and Hans were resigned from Ford motors to resurrect the damaged German water walker and improve upon its design." Klopp finished, as he gave the order for the walker to start retreating back to the sea.

Deryn heard the creak and groan of metal against metal as the machine moved joltingly back the way it had come. There was a crash of water as the water filled out the space above the walker. All was silent now, except for the hum and buzz of people talking and the low drone of the engines. Giant lights on the exterior of the vehicle switched on, illuminating the murky depths around them. She shuddered with excitement at the kinds of beasties they would no doubt encounter. If only Dr. Barlow where here, Deryn thought.

Alek was looking around with interest at the massive control banks. He asked "So, how many crew does this thing take?"

The reply was instant. "One hu-" Klopp was cut off by a blearing alarm. "That's just the hold opening!" shouted Klopp. "Isn't that dangerous?" Deryn shouted back.

"Not at all, Miss Sharp. We are receiving one of our scout vehicles."

The alarm had stopped now, leaving an eerily silence in its wake. "I guess you'll be wanting to see your room, then" said Newkirk, who they had quite forgotten about. He led them to the bunk room they had passed earlier. Deryn entered the room and saw, much to her disappointment, that she couldn't jump on the beds to test the springs. A shame, she had been looking forward to annoying Alek with her antics. She would just have to find another way.

The bunks were comfortable compared to those aboard the Leviathan. She flopped down onto the bottom bunk, her now shoulder length hair falling down around her like a halo of light. Deryn closed her eyes and relaxed. She felt a light, warm touch upon her lips as Alek gently kissed her. Deryn felt his touch recede, as he went over to another part of the room. "Clothes!" she heard him shout. "Clothes?" she questioned. "Clothes. For me and you" he clarified.

"Trousers?" she wondered aloud, daring her hopes to rise.

"Yes."

There was a little bathroom down the corridor, it was this bathroom that Deryn changed into a night dress that she found in her locker, along with a German military uniform with a curious red patch on the shoulder. In the patch was a cross with its arms bent at right angles, all in the same direction, which was clockwise. Alek would probably know what that was, she thought. She would ask him about it tomorrow.

She finished changing and scurried back to the bunk room through the cold night air, which was made even colder due to the fact that they were under water. Deryn curled up with Alek, her dreams filled with the days events.


	8. Chapter 8: A learning experience

A/N: Hi, all. Sorry I have not uploaded in a bit. I've been busy. But, nevertheless here is the next chapter.

SunnieBelle: Thank you very much for the summary. It is a lot better than my attempt at one, that is for sure!

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

Alek woke up underneath a heavy, dark green blanket. The reason for this, he discovered, was that Deryn was sitting on it, waiting for him to wake. She was already dressed in a dark green uniform, that had a resemblance to her airman's uniform, albeit plus goggles. Because of this, she looked very much like the middy he had first met and after numerous adventures, fallen in love with. She caught him staring and smiled, tousling his hair, giving him a kiss. She went over to his locker, pulled out a pile of clothes and threw them on to the bed. "Come on. We're going on an adventure."

"What kind of adventure?" Alek asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Deryn just stood there, grinning at him, giving Alek a glimpse of white teeth.

He got dressed quickly and followed her through the walker, boots clanging on the metal flooring. As they walked, Deryn described a patch she had seen on one of the uniforms in her locker. It sounded to Alek like a swastika, but he couldn't be sure. They headed down towards the cargo hold, which was now empty of water. Passing through one of the two heavy doors that provided entrance to the hold, Alek saw Klopp standing next to a cylindrical pod, that he immediately assumed was the scout vehicle. The pod was near the giant cargo doors, attached via clamps to a catwalk, suspended halfway up the wall. Deryn led him over to a ladder that ran up the wall, ending at the catwalk. She began to climb, motioning for him to do the same.

When he reached the catwalk, Alek noticed a box bolted to the floor and then Deryn, standing next to Klopp. "Alek, Deryn. I will now give you a basic lesson in operating the USV, or Underwater Stealth Vehicle." As he said this, Klopp gestured towards the pod.

Klopp clambered into one of the pod's two seats, then watched as Alek did the same. It was much more cramped than a _Cykolp Stormwalker's_ cockpit, having only enough space to sit down. Four pedals controlled the up and down, right and left movements of the craft, Klopp told him, demonstrating as he said this. There was a curved glass canopy that slid over them with a hiss of compressed air, when Klopp pushed one of the many buttons lining the dashboard.

Looking out of his cage of glass and metal, Alek saw Deryn go over to the box that Alek had noticed earlier. She opened it and donned a _Spottiswoode Rebreather_ , and googles. When the beastie was in place, they received a thumbs up, that Klopp returned with equal enthusiasm. Deryn tethered herself to the catwalk and pulled down on a lever. This particular lever sealed the two entrances to the cargo hold and opened the giant cargo doors, letting in a flood of water.

Alek saw his wife violently hit by the current of onrushing water. She was thrown back against the catwalk with a tremendous and terrible force, making her body limp. Was she ok? He wondered frantically. Everything was still, which meant only one thing. The water had filled the hold. Then to his relief, Deryn, who seemed to be ok, pushed the clamp release switch. Alek released a breath he had not even realised he had been holding. He and Klopp felt a jolt as their pod was freed from its moorings.

Klopp expertly piloted the craft out of the hold and into the dark depths of the open sea. He switched on the external lights, the beams of light trying, but failing to pierce the darkness around them. Alek noticed a depth gauge on the panel before him, it read: 2,000 FEET. Klopp said to him "Now you try."

Alek felt the pedals underneath his feet, he felt the craft wobble beneath his touch, then steady. It was very much like his first time piloting a _Stormwalker_ , except that time he wasn't 2,000 FEET under the open sea. He found that after a few hiccups, that he could pilot the craft quite easily. Soon he was cruising around the gigantic walker, as it lumbered slowly but steadily onwards towards Germany. As he flew around, Alek became ever more confident, to the point where he was weaving through its legs, which was particularly tricky, seeing as the walker's footfalls sent up huge clouds of sand from the sea floor.

Soon, Klopp took back control of the craft, aiming it towards the cargo bay. He pressed a button and said "Open the cargo doors." When he released the button, a little fish shot out of the bottom of the craft, heading away from them, towards the giant walker. Alek could no longer make out the fish, but the cargo bay doors started to open, letting in the sea. The hold filled in a matter of seconds, allowing Klopp to glide the craft inside and dock – with the assistance of Deryn – at the catwalk. With the docking clamps holding the pod firmly in place, Deryn once again pulled the lever to control whether water was or was not, in the hold.

Deryn, who was now _Spottiswoode Rebreather_ free, greeted him with a light squeeze of his hand "My turn" said Deryn, handing him the beastie, which looked like a jellyfish. "How do I operate this?" he asked. Turning back to him, she grabbed the _Spottiswoode Rebreather_ and slid it over her head. Alek now noticed the smell of seaweed, fish and saltwater. He recoiled for a moment, as Deryn lifted the beastie off her head with a wet squelching noise. She handed the beastie to him and jumped in the craft with Klopp, who then closed the glass canopy.

Alek clipped himself to the catwalk, closing his hand around the lever to operate the door. He then pulled the rebreather over his mouth. The rebreather felt slimy and smelled strongly of fish. In his mouth, the air felt salty and warm. The googles she had handed him, almost too tight, digging into the back of his head. He gave her and Klopp a thumbs up, which Klopp returned. Throwing the lever down, Alek felt the air leave the hold as the water was let in, pinning him against the wall. Then the rush subsided and everything was still. He eventually found a lever labelled DOCKING CLAMP OPEN/CLOSE. Pulling up for OPEN, he heard a faint clunk, as metal bumped metal and the pod was released.

When the pod was out, he pulled the lever, closing the giant metal doors and draining the water away through little holes in the floor. As he pulled off the _Spottiswoode Rebreather_ , Alek gasped, taking in huge lungful's of air. Unclipping himself from the wall, he squelched, wet and dripping with water, over to the box where the beasties resided. Opening it, Alek was hit by the dizzying smell of fish. Not wanting to spend more time than he had to, he hurriedly placed the beastie in the box, which was full of water. Closing the lid, he imagined what Deryn was doing, as she zipped around with Klopp. She was probably memorizing the walker, so she could draw it later.

Alek had time to spare, so, for no particular reason at all, he went back to their room. When he entered, there were some belongings from his and Deryn's suitcases on the bunk. How had they got here? He pondered. Deciding it was unimportant, he went about packing his stuff away in his locker. He had just finished, when he spied her ring. Made with the last of the Hohenberg Gold, it was a plain and simple affair, but carried with it a certain elegance. Much like Deryn herself, it was strong, yet also gentle. It was the same as his own ring. It was part of him, just as she was.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by the ear-splitting alarm, that meant the hold was opening. He had been so absorbed in the ring that he had failed to notice the passage of time. Bolting down to the hold, he arrived just as the doors sealed. Alek could only stand and stare out of the reinforced glass porthole, at Newkirk, who was manning the controls. He thought to himself, well there's nothing I can do. At last the water subsided and the door opened, revealing Deryn. She bent down to kiss him lightly on the cheek.

Then she stood up and intoned in a poor imitation of an American accent "I'm going to shower. I smell something fishy here." Alek couldn't help but to laugh at this, since they both smelled like a Spottiswoode Rebreather. Then she brushed past him, leaving Alek smiling and quietly chuckling to himself.


	9. Chapter 9: Cover stories

A/N: Sorry for the lack of uploads. I've had a lot of stuff on (Hey, chatting on Discord is important, alright? lol). I probably won't upload for a while. I want you all to know that I will continue this and that it's not dead, just resting :)

SunnieBelle: Once again, thanks for the kind words.

Enjoy!

ScottIsGodd

Deryn Sharp was sitting cross legged on the bottom bunk, sketching what she had seen of the water-walker in her drawing book, which she had recently found. This, along with a few belongings from their suitcases, had turned up mysteriously in their room one day earlier. As she put pencil to paper, she thought about her and Alek's cover story. They had discussed it with Klopp earlier that morning. Alek was a high-ranking officer in Hitler's inner circle. He would do most of the talking, since his native language was German. She would be a fellow soldier, a recently returned spy for the German army, which accounted for her why she spoke English so well. Klopp had said she would fit right it, with her blue eyes and sandy hair, which apparently was close enough to blonde to fit in with Hitler's Aryan race.

She finished the last few pencil stokes and looked at the drawing. It was the water-walker alright, every inch of detail was there; from the big glass widows that spanned the bridge on top of the walker, down to the tiny joints that formed the walker's legs. They where tiny because of the angle she was drawing from. In reality, they were as big as herself. The walker was – and would be forever - in mid step, one of its six leg poised, ready to come pounding down onto the sand. A drawing was like one of Eddie Malone's photographs; They were both moments captured in time, their subjects frozen forever like a Mammoth in an ice-age, which was a distant cousin of the Elephantine. Or, at least that's what Dr Barlow had said, anyway.

Deryn got up from her sitting position, stretching her aching legs as she did so. Maybe, sitting cross legged and drawing wasn't the best of ideas. But the drawing had turned out fine so, it seemed to work. Wandering over to her locker, she stowed her drawing book and made her way lazily up towards the bridge, where she knew Alek was, asking Klopp all kinds of questions. Her boots clanged as they struck the metal flooring. Deryn arrived at the bridge and seeing Alek deep in conversation with Klopp, stared out of the bay windows at the blackness that was the ocean. She couldn't see much beyond the lights that the walker provided, so her attention shifted to Klopp and Alek.

"How far down can this walker go, depth wise?" asked Alek, who didn't notice her presence. "As far as the ocean is deep" said Klopp, gesturing with his hands.

Finally seeing Deryn, Alek suddenly broke off their conversation. Smiling, he embraced her, wrapping his arms around her neck. She breathed in his sent, a pleasant, slightly musty _smell_ , like her childhood home in Glasgow. It was a _smell_ that she associated with home. A _smell_ she felt safe around. It was Alek's _smell_. Breaking the hug reluctantly, she stepped back and turned to face Klopp, who was trying to attract her attention.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we are going to go over your cover stories one more time" he said, leading them to a small room adjoining the bridge. The room was long and square, with a wooden table in the center. On the table there were two medium sized manila folders and two lamps that provided the only light in the room. Except of course, for the light spilling in from the bridge.

Deryn sat next to Alek at one side of the table, while Klopp sat at the other, facing them. He began with handing them the folders. On the spine of the folder Klopp handed her, stenciled in black ink was DERYN SHARP. Looking over, she saw Alek's had the same, except it was his name, not hers. Opening it at Klopp's prompting, a neatly bundled sheaf of paper fell out. She began reading:

TOP SECRET

U.S INTELLIGENCE

DERYN SHARP will accompany ALEK SHARP to Germany, where they will infiltrate Hitler's inner circle and kill him. While in Germany, ALEK will be known as FRITZ and DERYN as STEFAN. ALEK will mostly speak German, as he is Austrian. DERYN will speak German, but mostly English, since she will be a returned spy from England. This will account for her accent, knowledge of English and lack of German. DERYN will pretend to be a BOY, because in Germany women do not have POLICTAL or MILLATRY roles.

On arrival in Germany, they will travel to Berlin and prove their identity with the forged papers included in this folder. Our operatives will also vouch for your legitimacy. Once accepted into the Military, befriend Hitler. After you have gained his trust, ask him to show you something called PROJECT WORLD-BREAKER. We do not know what this is, but we do know that it is very dangerous. Your PRIMARY OBJECTIVE is to destroy it, your SECONDARY OBJECTIVE is killing Hitler.

After you complete these, the Leviathan will take you back to America. It is currently engaged in diplomatic missions for the United State.

The rest of the document was either redacted or did not make sense. Flipping over some pages, she saw the passport that the paper had referenced. Everything about it looked worn, which made her cover story all the more feasible. Opening the front cover, she saw a head and shoulders photo of herself with military length sandy hair. She wondered where the photo was from, summarizing that it was probably Eddie Malone.

Just then, Newkirk, who was acting as captain, walked in from the bridge. Stopping, he addressed the three of them "We have gone as far as we can go, without causing damage to the walker. We have arrived at our destination: The Strait of Gibraltar."


	10. Chapter 10: A new land

Alek Sharp ran down the hallway, towards the hanger bay. A sense of urgency filled his mind, with one thought overwriting all others; Deryn. Was she safe? He had been jolted awake by the blearing sound of alarms, one hour earlier. When he had first awoken and still now while he was awake still there was water in slight puddles around his boots. Now fully dressed in dark green overalls, he was following the directions of Otto Klopp that detailed some sought of plan to defend the water walker from attack, via a message lizard. Reaching the hanger, he saw what he assumed to be USVs (Underwater Stealth Vehicles). Except that these were different somehow, different from the ones he had seen and flown, in that they were bulkier and had two slots on the side that he could only presume were for firing projectiles of some kind. Spying Klopp, who had what looked like Bovril on his shoulder, he made his way through the somewhat crowded and frantic hanger.

Klopp greeted Alek by nodding his head, quickly returning to work. This caused Bovril to dig its claws tighter into his shoulder. He pointed to one of the USVS Alek had seen earlier and motioned for him to take a seat. The seat next to him was already occupied. He hoped it was Deryn, but alas it was not. Instead it was Hans Bauer! "Oh, hello Alek. Long time, no see!" said Hans. Alek was stunned! He hadn't seen Hans for about three years, since their parting in New York. "What are you doing here!?" Alek almost shouted. "I've just come back from a stealth mission in German territory - which now encompasses Italy. The whole war has gone to the clankers!" replied Hans, who had barely finished his sentence, when Klopp's voice could be heard. It sounded a bit like a speech. "It's time we took the war to the Nazis and fought them on their home turf!" With that, the drivers of the modified USVs closed the canopy on the crafts, the hanger flooded and about a dozen USVs emerged into the ocean depths. Half of these stayed behind to defend the Water Walker, which Alek now saw was being attacked. Half including Alek's, sped swiftly into the blackness beyond.

As they pushed on through the murky gloom, with only the lights at the front of the craft to guide them, Alek who was still coming to terms with the events that had transpired only minutes before, said hesitantly, "Do you think they'll be alright?" Hans didn't reply immediately to this, causing Alek to wonder if he had heard him. Hans said, musing "I just don't know it they're going to be alright." Heads and hearts filled with worry – Alek, for Deryn, Klopp and Newkirk, Hans for the crew of the walker – they spent the next hour or so in silence, having this silence only broken by the steady whir of propellers at the back of the craft.

Alec felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Klopp, gently shaking him awake. Alec stared out of the glass confines of the cabin, if it could even be called one. So small was it. In a sudden turn of events, the water in front of their craft became less murky and Klopp switched off the front lights on the craft. Alec figured they were nearing surface. He was correct in his assumption because not a moment later they breached the surface of the water, the craft coming up and causing ripples in the calm sea. The moonlight shone down on the craft as Klopp lifted the glass hinge door overhead. What he saw blew his mind. He knew the war was bad, but not this bad. He saw a city. A city burning.


End file.
